by Asma bint Shameem
đżANSWERđż
The basic principle is that itâs not allowed for Muslims to have images of animate beings, whether to hang on walls or put in frames or on clothes etc.Â
đThe Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
âJibreel came to me and said: I was going to come to you yesterday and nothing prevented me from entering upon you in the house where you were except that at the door of the house there were some statues of men, and in the house there was a curtain  on which there were
images, and there was a dog in the house.Â
So tell someone to cut off the heads of the statues that are by the door of the house, so that they will become like trees, and tell someone to take down the curtain and make it into two cushions which can be thrown on the floor and on which people may step, and tell someone to take the dog out.
So the Messenger of AllahÂ
Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa SallamÂ
did that.âÂ
(at-Tirmidhi -saheeh by al-Albaani)Â
đAnd the Prophet ï·ș said:
âThe angels do not enter any house in which there is a dog or an image.ââ (Muslim 2104)
đ Shaykh Ibn âUthaymeen explains in detail:
âImage-making is of two types:
one by hand and the other by means of machines.Â
Image-making by hand is haraam, and is in fact a major sin, because the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam cursed the one who does it. He did not differentiate between images that have a shadow (i.e., three-dimensional) or those that are simply drawn (two-dimensional), according to the more correct scholarly opinion, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth. Â
With regard to image-making by means of machines, i.e. cameras, there is a difference of opinion among the later scholars on this matter.
Some of them forbid it and some of them allow it.Â
In order to be on the safe side, it is better to avoid that, because it is one of the doubtful areas.
And whoever is careful with regard to doubtful matters will protect his religious commitment and his honour.
But if he needs to do that for a specific purpose such as proving his identity, there is nothing wrong with that because if there is a âneedâ, the matter is no longer doubtful.
 Secondly:Â
With regard to keeping pictures, this is also of two types:Â
The first type is keeping images that are three-dimensional.
Keeping them is haraam.
Ibn al-âArabi narrated that there is consensus on this point. (Fath al-Baari, p. 388, vol. 10).
He said: This consensus has to do with things other than girlsâ dolls.Â
It was narrated that âAaâishah Radhi Allaahu anhaa said:
âI used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam and I had friends who would play with me.
When the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam entered they would hide themselves and he would call them to come and play with me.â (al-Bukhaari, 5779; Muslim, 2440)
The second type is images that are not three-dimensional.
These are of different types:Â
1ïžâŁThose that are hung up to be venerated and respected, as in the case of pictures of kings, presidents, ministers, scholars etc.
This is haraam because it involves exaggeration about a created being.
2ïžâŁThose that are hung up for the sake of memory, such as hanging up pictures of one's friends.
This is also haraam, because of the hadeeth narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari from Abu Talhah Radhi Allaahu anhu who said:
âI heard the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam say:
âThe angels do not enter any house in which there is a dog or an image.ââ (Muslim 2104)
3ïžâŁThose that are hung up for the purpose of adornment.
These are also haraam because of the hadeeth of âAaâishah who said:
âThe Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam
came back from a journey and I had hung a patterned curtain on which there were images over (the door of) a room of mine.
When the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam saw it, he tore it and said,
âThe most severely punished of the people on the Day of Resurrection will be those who tried to imitate the creation of Allaah.ââ
She said: âSo I made it into one or two cushions.â (al-Bukhaari 5610; Muslim 2107)
4ïžâŁ Those that are treated with disrespect, such as images in carpets and pillows.
Al-Nawawi narrated from the majority of scholars among the Sahaabah and Taabiâeen that these are permissible.
5ïžâŁThose that have unfortunately become widespread and are difficult to avoid, such as images engraved on coins etc which have become a problem for the Muslim ummah.
It seems to me that there is no sin on the one who acquires these without wanting to acquire images.
Thirdly:Â
With regard to dolls that children play with:Â
An exception is made in the case of childrenâs toys, which are not regarded as haraam or makrooh.
But what are the toys which are exempted?
We know that the toys of the past did not have eyes and lips and noses as they do nowadays.
I think it is better to avoid these toys and limit oneself to those the kind of toys that were known previously.â
(Fataawa al-âAqeedah by Shaykh Ibn âUthaymeen, p. 66, 663, 679)
đșSo as Shaykh Ibn âUthaymeen explained, hanging pictures of the family or animals etc is not allowed.
But we can keep pictures of INANIMATE objects like trees, mountains, seaside, flowers etc.
đ Saâeed ibn Abiâl-Hasan said:
âI was with Ibn âAbbaas radhi Allaahu anhu when a man came to him and said,
âO Ibn âAbbaas, I am a man who earns a living by the work of my hands, and I make these pictures (or images).â
Ibn âAbbaas said: âI will only tell you what I heard the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam say, and I heard him say,
âWhoever makes an image in this world will be punished until he breathes life into it, and he will never be able to do so.ââ
The man became very upset and his face turned pale.
He â meaning Ibn âAbbaas â said, âWoe to you! If you insist on making them (images), then you can make images of these trees and everything that does not have a soul.ââ (Saheeh al-Bukhaari 2225 and Saheeh Muslim 2110)
đșWhat about an incomplete picture?
If the image or picture is incomplete without which itâs impossible to live, then the scholars say it is âpermissibleâ to keep such an image or picture.
đ Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal al-Shaykh said:
âIf the picture is incomplete, such as a picture of the face or head or chest, and so on, and something is removed from the picture that represents a part of the body without which there can be no life, then the words of many fuqahaâ indicate that it is permissible, especially if there is a NEED for that, which is partial depiction.
Whatever the case, people should fear Allaah as much as they are able to and should avoid that which Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden.â
(Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, 1/167)
đ And Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:
âEveryone who makes something that imitates the creation of Allaah is included in this hadeeth, which says that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam cursed the image makers⊠and his words âThe people who will be most severely punished on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers.â
But as I said, if the image is not clear and if it does not have eyes or a nose or mouth or fingers, then it is not a complete image, and is not imitating the creation of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Taâaala .â
(Fatawaa Shaykh Ibn âUthaymeen)
đș Conclusion:
Itâs best to AVOID pictures of animals and humans even if the picture is incomplete.
Why take a chance with something when the warnings are so severe?
Also keep in mind that just because something is âpermissibleâ does not necessarily mean that itâs âdesirableâ.
In any case, whatâs so special about having a picture on the wall, right?
What difference will it make if we donât hang it up?
THINK about it.
And Allaah knows best.
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